"Where is the body?" Another family stranded as kin's body goes missing from PGH morgue

Samson Langat, the firstborn son of the late John Kiplangat Cheruiyot, stands at what was to be his father’s gravesite in Mauche, Njoro sub-county.

The family had prepared for burial, only to be thrown into anguish when they went to the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (PGH) morgue on August 25 to collect the body, only to find it missing.

They say three bodies were paraded before them, but none matched their 66-year-old father.

The family now fear the remains may have been released to another household from Molo, who allegedly collected their kin on August 19 and went ahead with the burial.

“Where did our father’s body go?” Langat asks, recalling how the ordeal unfolded.

“After being shown three bodies that were not his, we were told to wait about 10 minutes while they searched. Later, we were informed that he had been found and should prepare for viewing. They placed the body in a casket, but when we were called again, it still wasn’t him.”

He says the family was asked to wait again, only to be told later that the body had been taken to Molo and offered counselling on the unveiling.

“Relatives and visitors who had travelled from Kericho and Kisii for the burial have now been left stranded and have already used up all the resources to prepare for the funeral,” Langat says.

“Now we don’t even know when or if we will bury him. We will not be at peace until we see his body and give him a proper send-off.”

The loss has reopened fresh wounds for the family, who just two months ago buried their last-born daughter out of seven siblings.

John Kipng’eno Kerina, brother to the late Cheruiyot, says the family feels robbed of dignity and closure.

“This is painful. We cannot dig the grave until his body is here because it goes against our culture,” he says. He adds that the family is still unsure if the body in Molo is their kin.

“We had managed to raise about Sh38,000 for the burial, but all of it has already been spent. Now we will need to start fresh preparations.”

The family blames the county government for negligence, noting that this is not the first time PGH has been embroiled in controversy.

Mtaa Wangu reached out to the hospital’s medical superintended Dr James Waweru for clarity, but phone calls and text messages to his known number went unanswered.

In February, the hospital and morgue came under sharp criticism after the body of 7-month-old Mercy Chepng’eno disappeared and has yet to be found. That case remains in court.